It is generally known to deposit loose fiber material in containers, compress the fibers into bales, and package the fiber bales by bagging and/or strapping the bales. Some systems employ on-line weighing apparatus to approximate the mass value the resulting fiber bale. Such systems form bales from a continuous mat or stream of fibers. The total mass value of the fibers to be compressed into a single bale is assessed as the stream of fibers is continuously delivered to a scale. As a consequence, known fiber baling systems provide only a rough assessment of the fiber bale mass value. Hence, known systems provide fiber bales along with imprecise mass values. Additionally, the fiber bale masses vary significantly from bale to bale.
Many processes utilizing such fiber materials require the materials be introduced in precise mass quantities. Consequently, the fiber material must be weighed prior to introduction to such processes. Fiber bales having precise and substantially identical, preselected masses (i.e., bales of close weight tolerances) would allow such processes to bypass the often expensive and time consuming weighing procedures. Thus, there is a need for fiber baling apparatus and methods that ensure formation of fiber bales, having precise and substantially identical preselected masses of fiber material.
Systems that bale loose fiber materials in an automated (i.e., timed), sequential manner are also known. Such conventional systems run each subassembly of the baling apparatus in timed sequence. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,162,603 discloses a baling apparatus wherein a continuous stream of fibrous material is caused to fall into a shaft in which a pressing operation takes place. A sequence of pre-compression and compression by movement of various compression forks and hopper gates takes place in a timed manner. The timing is based solely on the initial falling speed of the fiber as the material flows down the first shaft. As a result of the timed sequence, timing of subassemblies of the system may not be changed (e.g., hurried, slowed or stopped) irrespective of the timing of other subassemblies.
The fiber baling apparatus of the present invention is a fully automated, microprocessor controlled system for converting loose, discontinuous fibers into compressed, high-density fiber bales. The fiber baling apparatus can be adjusted to produce fiber bales having preselected masses and dimensions, with weight tolerances below one percent of the total bale weight.
The fiber baling apparatus of the present invention comprises a conveyor located downstream of a fiber-forming chain, a baler having a first hopper, a second hopper mounted on a scale and a compression assembly, a bagger/strapper, a bag sealer, and a bale lifting system. The fiber baling apparatus separates the fibers into separate mat portions that are formed into bales, rather than operating to form bales from a continuous stream of fibers. The separate mat portions of fiber are transported by conveyor to the baler. An alternative embodiment of the present invention includes a third conveyor positioned downstream of the bag sealer, and a bale lifting system for placing bagged, strapped, and sealed fiber bales on a pallet for shipping and/or storage.
In a preferred method of the present invention, the baler cyclically weighs incoming mat portions of fiber until a preselected, partial mass value is reached. The mat portions are then delivered to the compression assembly and precompressed. The delivery, weighing, and precompression cycle continues until fiber delivered to the second hopper, and then precompressed in the compression assembly, equals a preselected total mass value. The fiber is then fully compressed, bagged, and strapped. The bagged and strapped fiber bale is then moved on a third conveyor to a bag sealer. After the bag is sealed, the bale is lifted by an automatic lifting system and placed on a pallet to await shipment. Fugitive-dust emanating from various locations in the baling apparatus is removed by a dust-collection system and transported back to be recycled into the next fibers produced.
The method and apparatus of the present invention is fully automated and is controlled by a process controller or microprocessor. Accordingly, operation of any subassembly of the system may be changed (e.g., hurried, slowed or stopped) irrespective of operation speed of the other subassemblies, to produce fiber bales having precise and substantially identical mass values. Additionally, the preselected partial mass value or the preselected total mass value may be changed at any point during operation.
The method and apparatus of the present invention reduces the amount of physical effort required of an operator, reduces the operator's risk of injury, reduces risk of fiber contamination, reduces bale-weight tolerances, reduces the amount of fugitive-dust in the environment, and increases production speed.